| Track: | Rating: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sledgehammer (extended dance remix) | | | | | |
| 2. Sledgehammer (extended mix) | | | | | |
| 3. Don't Break This Rhythm | | | | | |
| 4. I Have The Touch (1985 remix) | | | | | |
Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" was released in a number of different packages. This review covers the American 12-inch single, which was also released on cassette at the time (despite not being listed as such on the "And Through The Wire" web site). The British 12-inch single omits the extended dance remix of "Sledgehammer"; a limited British 12-inch pressing features only one version of "Sledgehammer" (which may or may not be the Potoker remix), but adds a remix of "Biko".
For commentary on the original version of "Sledgehammer" and the So album, see Tentative Review No. 137.
From a collector's standpoint, the most valuable track on this (or any) edition of the "Sledgehammer" single is "Don't Break This Rhythm", a fairly minimalist number featuring African(esque) percussion as its most prominent instrumental feature. In terms of atmosphere, the track is oddly similar to "Mercy Street", the best track on the So release; Gabriel's vocals are sparse, and are somewhat detached from the rest of the track until the second stanza (this was probably deliberate, of course). This number could probably have fit on So in place of "That Voice Again"; while it isn't an essential track, it makes the single a worthwhile enough investment for hardcore Gabriel fans.
The same cannot be said for the rest of the release. The John Potoker remix of "Sledgehammer" is a fairly predictable run-through of '80s dub technique, with added bass and drums on the intro, additional reverb, and a rather conventional dub-coda. Perhaps interesting from a historical standpoint, this remix coheres less successfully than the original track [though it may be worth noting that David Rhodes's guitar appears strangely audible in the "bridge" section].
The other two mixes are also somewhat less than essential. The extended mix of "Sledgehammer" adds a strange urban-dance intro (somewhat akin to "The Message"), with Levin's bass in a prominent role; otherwise, its essentially identical to the original track. Similarly, the 1985 remix of "I Have The Touch" (also available on Shaking The Tree) isn't a radical departure from the 1982 original, despite a bit of extra drum mixing.
This release is not essential, though serious fans will obviously want it for "Don't Break This Rhythm".
(review originally posted to alt.music.yes on 24 Jan 1999)